The Bell in Ticehurst Reviews Summary

Atmosphere and Decor

Pros:

• "Every part of this pub and restaurant has a rustic and quirky feel to it."
• "The outside area is beautiful with plenty of seating."
• "It’s very quirky in a good way. Love the stack of books in the middle of the room and the bowler hat lamps."
• "The decor and exterior are very interesting and there is an abundance of trinkets, ornaments and feature pieces to admire."
• "A truly unique and special pub with food that will knock your socks off. Quirky decor with cosy vibes."
• "This is the most amazing experience and we are so glad to have found this place! It is a gem. Rustic and quirky."

Cons:

• "Parking can be a pain as right in the heart of a small village high St."
• "Keep in mind that it's a pub with rooms. The pub was always open up until 11.30 pm. It was always noisy until then."
• "Music in the pub was terrible 90s tunes, didn't work at all for the atmosphere."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff really did take care of us."
• "Our waiter also gave great advice on wine selection."
• "Staff were attentive and friendly."
• "Wonderful staff who went out of their way to accommodate us."
• "From our very first visit to the venue in 2019, to after our big day, the staff at The Bell have been phenomenal."
• "The staff were very well coordinated and professional and everything went like clockwork."
• "Staff were delightful. Outstanding service for dinner."
• "On arrival we had a very warm welcome."
• "The staff were all fantastic. Every single person we met in this gorgeous pub was friendly & welcoming."
• "Staff at check in and during the meal were really friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "The service is not as good as it aims."
• "Take orders left us waiting."
• "Wine not served well."
• "Just sometimes feel that they could be a bit more on the case when it comes to customer experience."
• "The only negative was that the service could have been a bit more slick."
• "A couple of checks would have allowed us to order more drinks and when we did eventually get to order additional drinks they never arrived and were delivered just before our bill."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "5 star food!"
• "The roast beef and veg were to die for."
• "The Harvey's Beer Battered fish was so crispy and light."
• "The food was incredible."
• "The food in the restaurant was amazing, not a massive choice but all very good and breakfast in the morning was perfect."
• "Food was amazing, great flavours, and well presented. We had all of the daily specials and some hispi cabbage. Totally fantastic."
• "Food was delicious - bread starter was perfect to begin with and mains were faultless."
• "We came here for Sunday lunch. Service was excellent and the food was amazing."
• "The food and drink were amazing as were the welcome and table/decor/atmosphere."
• "Honestly one of the best meals I've had."
• "Food menu was wonderful, chimichuri steak and tomohawk was standout."
• "The restaurant food is amazing and the rooms have an amazing and unique style."
• "The food in their restaurant is by far the best pub food we have ever eaten."

Cons:

• "The food is not exceptional."
• "The burgers were average and for the price we expected a lot better."
• "Both our burgers were raw."
• "But the food wasn't so good. The starters were good; the arancini was great and the salmon was good. But the mains were quite bad."
• "Risotto very salty. Burger fine."
• "Quite expensive meal for a very limited menu."

Accommodation

Pros:

• "The love nest accommodation is stunning."
• "Quirky bedroom at the rear of the property."
• "We stayed in one of the lodges which continued the sense of magic."
• "Our room was perfect; cosy, quirky, super clean and with the added bonus of a balcony."
• "The rooms are individual and private, comfy, luxurious and totally rustic and very original."
• "The room was very comfy and nicely decorated."
• "The rooms were also very nice and well equipped."
• "The room was a great size, loads of space to move about (which is rare in hotels!!)"
• "The room was very comfortable, with a spacious bathroom."
• "The room was amazing and very spacious even with the Z bed for our daughter."
• "Our bathroom was gorgeous with a deep bath surrounded by vintage tiles."
• "Our room (lodge!) was beautiful - we stayed in Pour L’Amour, which had a fantastic feature of roses hanging from the ceiling."
• "The rooms are spotlessly clean and fantastically querky with the most wonderfully comfy beds."
• "Room was massive, and had a lovely bath."

Cons:

• "Only negative was that the road was busy in the morning and it was pretty noisy."
• "Stayed here a few weeks ago on a secret escapes deal in one of the lodges - a few bits weren't working as well as they should, taps, cupboard doors etc."
• "Room was directly above the bar. People were very noisy till midnight and the kitchen just down a small stairs outside room very loud."
• "Had to have window shut to get any sleep."
• "Some issues with the heating in the lodges during winter."

Special Occasions

Pros:

• "My husband and I married at The Bell on Saturday 18th September 2021... it's a beautiful, quirky venue and we couldn't be happier with our choice."
• "Had a wonderful time at a family wedding yesterday."
• "We had a lovely Christmas wedding at The Bell."
• "The Bell is a very special wedding venue, made even more special by the quality of its staff, accommodation, food, and drink it has to offer!"
• "We got married here and often return to what we call our second home."

Cons:

• "We were disappointed when they threw away most of our uneaten wedding cake at the end of the evening and after taking down the decorations a couple went missing."
• "Wanted to book out ALL of the lodges for a weekend wedding party, however because we weren't having the actual wedding at the pub we were told to go elsewhere."

Pricing and Value

Pros:

• "Mains £20-30, small bites up to £10."

Cons:

• "For £70 a head we were all very disappointed."
• "The Sunday roast at £93 for two is a little expensive."
• "Far more expensive than it should be."
• "Price point: too high."

Miscellaneous

Pros:

• "A dog-friendly establishment."
• "They do a lovely Sunday roast with excellent vegetarian options."
• "Lovely outdoor garden area."
• "We'll definitely be back again."
• "All in all we've had a lovely time and would definitely consider visiting again."

Cons:

• "The atmosphere had changed."
• "On the plus side comfy bed although it was two singles put together to make a double."